Cooking appliance

ABSTRACT

A cooking appliance includes a cavity having a cooking space therein, a top plate covering an upper portion of the cavity to form an upper space between the top plate and the cavity, and a rear cover covering a rear of the cavity to form a rear space between the rear cover and the cavity, where an upper end opening is formed between the cavity and the rear cover and opens the rear space upward behind the upper space, and the top plate connects to the rear cover while covering the upper space and the upper end opening from above.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean PatentApplication No. 10-2021-0003629, filed on Jan. 11, 2021, and KoreanPatent Application No. 10-2021-0013615, filed on Jan. 29, 2021, thedisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a cooking appliance, and specifically,a cooking appliance provided with a cooktop part and an oven parttogether.

BACKGROUND

Cooking appliances are installed in the kitchen and used to cook food asa user wants. Such cooking appliances can fall into differentcategories, based on a heat source or a type, and the sort of fuel.

Additionally, cooking appliances can be categorized into an open cookingappliance in which food is placed in an open space, and a sealed cookingappliance in which food is placed in a closed space, based on a way ofcooking food. The sealed cooking appliance includes an oven, a microwaveoven and the like, and the open cooking appliance includes a cooktop, ahob, a gridle and the like.

In the sealed cooking appliance, a space, in which food is placed, isshielded, and the shielded space is heated to cook food. The sealedcooking appliance is provided with a cooking space in which food isplaced and which is shielded when the food is cooked. The cooking spaceis a space in which food is substantially cooked.

Sealed cooking appliances are classified into gas ovens and electricovens based on the type of a heat source. Gas ovens use gas as a fueland cook food using flames that is generated as a result of the ignitionof a plurality of burners which burns gas supplied to them. Unlike gasovens, electric ovens use electricity as a heat source and cook foodusing heat that is emitted from a plurality of heaters as the pluralityof heaters operates.

A sealed cooking appliance is provided with door that selectively opensand closes a cooking space in a swivable manner. The door is disposed ata main body in a swivable manner through a door hinge disposed betweenthe main body having the cooking space therein and the door, and swivelsaround a portion in which the door is coupled to the main body toselectively open and close the cooking space.

A heat source is disposed in an inner space of the cooking space openedand closed by the door, to heat the cooking space. The heat sourceincludes a gas burner or an electric heater and the like.

The sealed cooking appliance is provided with an exhaust duct. Theexhaust duct is provided to discharge exhaust gas, which is generated inthe cooking space during the process of cooking food, out of the cookingappliance.

The exhaust duct's lower end portion connects to the upper portion ofthe cooking space, and the exhaust duct's upper end is disposed at theupper side of the rear surface of the cooking appliance. Exhaust gasgenerated in the cooking space is suctioned into the exhaust ductconnected to the upper portion of the cooking space and flows upward,and is discharged upward from the rear surface of the cooking appliancethrough a vent grille disposed aabove the exhaust duct.

The vent grille is provided with at least one exhaust hole through theexhaust gas discharged through the exhaust duct passes, and the exhausthole is formed in a way that passes through the vent grille vertically.

In recent years, a combination cooking appliance has been suggested. Inthe combination cooking appliance, a sealed cooking appliance and anopen cooking appliance are installed together, and a plurality of heatsources are combined, such that various types of food items are cookedand a plurality of food items is cooked at the same time. A cookingappliance provided with a plurality of heat sources has a path of coolair used for cooling the plurality of heat sources and electroniccomponents.

In the combination cooking appliance, an open cooking appliance isdisposed on a sealed cooking appliance. The open cooking appliance isprovided with a plurality of heaters or burners such that a plurality offood items can be cooked at the same time.

That is, when a user barbecues a food item or bakes bread and the like,or roasts fish, the user uses the sealed cooking appliance.Additionally, when the user puts a food item in a container to heat thefood item, the user uses the open cooking appliance to cook the fooditem.

One of the commonly-used open cooking appliances is a gas range-typeopen cooking appliance, and the gas range-type open cooking applianceuses flame, which is generated as gas is burned by a burner, to cook afood item.

The burner disposed in the open cooking appliance ordinarily includes aburner body, a burner head, and a burner head cap.

The burner body having a flaw path for supplying gas is fixed to acooktop case forming the exterior of the open cooking appliance, theburner head for discharging gas supplied through the path is disposed inthe upper portion of/on the burner body, and the burner head cap isdisposed on the burner head.

The burner body can be provided with a gas supply pipe for supplyinggas, and a nozzle for spraying gas and the like. The burner head can bedisposed on the upper surface of a member that defines the upper surfaceof the open cooking appliance, i.e., a top plate, and the burner headcap can be mounted onto the upper side of the burner head.

In the combination cooking appliance, the vent grille is ordinarilydisposed at the upper side of the rear surface of the open cookingappliance. For example, the upper end portion of the exhaust duct can bedisposed on the rear surface of the open cooking appliance while passingthrough the top plate, and the vent grille can be disposed in the upperportion of the top plate, i.e., in the upper portion of the rear surfaceof the top plate.

A rear cover is provided to cover the rear surface of the sealed cookingappliance and the rear surface of the open cooking appliance. The rearcover protects electronic components disposed on the rear surface of thecombination cooking appliance and forms the rear exterior of thecombination cooking appliance.

The rear cover can be coupled to the open cooking appliance behind thetop plate, and a space for installing the electronic components disposedon the rear surface of the combination cooking appliance is formedbetween the main body of the sealed cooking appliance and the rear coverof the sealed cooking appliance, and between the main body of the sealedcooking appliance and the cooktop case of the open cooking appliance.The space formed between the rear surface of the combination cookingappliance and the rear cover of the combination cooking appliance isopen upward.

The vent grille is disposed to cover a partial area of the rear of thetop plate, including the area in which the exhaust duct is installed,from above. The vent grille can also cover a portion being open upwardin the space between the rear surface of the combination cookingappliance and the rear cover of the combination cooking appliance, i.e.,a gap formed between the top plate and the rear cover, from above.Accordingly, a space surrounded by the vent grille, the top plate andthe rear cover is formed in the vent grille.

In the structure, water or foreign substances can enter the space in thevent grille through an exhaust hole of the vent grille. The water orforeign substances having entered the space in the vent grille can enterthe space formed between the rear surface of the combination cookingappliance and the rear cover of the combination cooking appliancethrough the gap formed between the top plate and the rear cover.

The water or the foreign substances having entered through the gapformed between the top plate and the rear cover can cause failure of theelectronic components disposed on the rear surface of the combinationcooking appliance or an accident.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENT Patent Document

KR Patent Publication No. 10-1999-0031387 (titled Door Packing for GasOven Range)

SUMMARY Technical Problems

The present disclosure is directed to a cooking appliance thateffectively prevents water or foreign substances from enteringelectronic components disposed in a space formed between a rear surfaceof the cooking appliance and a rear cover thereof.

The present disclosure is also directed to a cooking appliance thatblocks water or foreign substances from coming through a gap formedbetween a top plate and the rear cover.

The present disclosure is also directed to a cooking appliance thathelps to cool a display disposed on a control panel effectively.

The present disclosure is also directed to a cooking appliance thatprevents hot air discharged from a door from affecting the display andhelps to cool the display effectively.

Technical Solutions

To achieve the above aims, a cooking appliance of one embodimentincludes a cavity having a cooking space therein, a top plate coveringan upper portion of the cavity to form an upper space between the topplate and the cavity, and a rear cover covering a rear of the cavity toform a rear space between the rear cover and the cavity, where an upperend opening is formed between the cavity and the rear cover and opensthe rear space upward behind the upper space, and the top plate connectsto the rear cover while covering the upper space and the upper endopening from above.

A cooking appliance according to one aspect may include an oven partincluding a cavity having a cooking space therein; a cooktop partincluding a top plate covering an upper portion of the cavity to form anupper space between the top plate and the cavity, and at least onecooktop heating part at least partially disposed in the upper space; arear cover covering rears of the oven part and the cooktop part to forma rear space between the rear cover and the oven part; an exhaustopening disposed between the cooktop heating part and the rear cover andformed in a way that passes through the top plate vertically; a ventgrille covering the exhaust opening in an upper portion of the topplate, and an upper end opening may be formed between the cavity and therear cover and open the rear space upward behind the upper space, andthe top plate may connect to the rear cover while covering the upperspace and the upper end opening from above.

The top plate may include a main plate disposed in an upper portion ofthe upper space and covering the upper space from above; and anextension plate extended rearward from the main plate and covering theupper end opening from above, for example.

The main plate and the extension plate may connect as the same surfaceand cover the upper space and the upper end opening from above, forexample.

The extension plate may be coupled to the rear cover behind a cooktopcase, and the vent grille may have a vent hole that is formed in a waythat passes through the vent grille vertically, for example.

At least a portion of the main plate may be exposed to an upper portionof the vent grille through the vent hole, for example.

At least a portion of the main plate, exposed to the upper portion ofthe vent grille through the vent hole, and the extension plate mayconnect to cover the upper space and a gap from above, for example.

According to the present disclosure, the top plate further may furtherinclude a coupling part extended from the extension plate and coupled tothe rear cover, for example.

The coupling part may extend from the extension plate in a directionparallel with the rear cover, and the coupling part may be coupled tothe rear cover while contacting the rear cover in a front-reardirection, for example.

The main plate and the extension plate may connect as the same surfacewhile the main plate, the extension plate, and the coupling part areintegrated, and the coupling part may extend downward from an endportion of a rear of the extension plate, for example.

According to the present disclosure, the cooking appliance may furtherinclude a door disposed at a front of the cavity and configured to openand close the cooking space; and a control panel provided with a displaydisposed on the door, for example.

Additionally, a path for a flow of air may be formed in the door, adischarge hole for opening the path to an upper portion of the door maybe formed on the upper surface of the door, facing the control panel,and the control panel may further include a control panel cover thataccommodates the display while closing between the discharge hole andthe display, for example.

The cooking appliance may further include a cooling fan that generatesan air flow passing through the upper space, and a space in which thedisplay is accommodated and the upper space may connect to each other,for example.

An upper end opening may be formed between the cavity and the rear coverand open a rear space upward behind the upper space, for example.

The top plate may connect to the rear cover while covering the upperspace and the upper end opening from above, for example.

The cooling fan may be surrounded by the top plate, the rear cover andthe cavity and disposed in a sealed space, for example.

According to the present disclosure, the cooking appliance further mayinclude a front panel disposed between the cavity and the door, at leasta portion of the front panel blocking a front of the upper space, thefront panel may have an intake opening, and the cooling fan may suctionair into the upper space through the intake opening and discharge theair having passed through the upper space through the exhaust opening,for example.

The cooling fan may be disposed in the upper space, behind the cooktopheating part, for example.

At least one of an electronic component for supplying power, anelectronic component for a lighting device, an electronic component fora convection part, and an electronic component for supplying gas may bedisposed in the rear space, and the top plate may cover the electroniccomponent disposed in the rear space from above, for example.

Advantageous Effects

In a cooking appliance according to the present disclosure, water orforeign substances having fallen onto the upper portion of the cookingappliance through a vent grille may be blocked from entering electroniccomponents disposed in a space formed between the rear surface of thecooking appliance and a rear cover thereof, thereby preventing failureof the electronic components, caused by the water or foreign substances,effectively.

In the cooking appliance, a top plate may directly connect to the rearcover while covering an upper end opening from above, therebyeffectively preventing water from entering the upper end opening formedbetween the top plate and the rear cover.

In the cooking appliance, as a result of the coupling between the topplate and the rear cover, the upper end opening near a cooling fan maybe sealed, thereby efficiently increasing the intensity of air currentgenerated by the cooling fan and effectively cooling a display disposedon a control panel.

In the cooking appliance, the intensity of air current for cooling mayincrease such that the display cools effectively although a cooling holeis not formed in the lower portion of the control panel, therebyblocking hot air discharged from a door from affecting the display andeffectively cooling the display.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings constitute a part of the specification,illustrate one or more embodiments in the disclosure, and together withthe specification, explain the disclosure, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a cooking appliance of one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cooking appliance in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the cooking appliance in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a lateral cross-sectional view showing an inner configurationof the cooking appliance in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged rear perspective view showing a portion of thecooking appliance in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a ventgrille in FIG. 5 is separated;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view showing a portion of a rear of thecooking appliance in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing a portion of the rear ofthe cooking appliance in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a rear view showing the cooking appliance in FIG. 2 without arear cover;

FIG. 10 is a view showing a flow of water in a cooking appliance of therelated art;

FIG. 11 is a view showing a flow of water in the cooking appliance ofone embodiment;

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which acooktop part and a control panel are separated from the cookingappliance of one embodiment; and

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a flow of cool air in thecooking appliance of one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The above-described aspects, features and advantages are specificallydescribed hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawings suchthat one having ordinary skill in the art to which the presentdisclosure pertains can easily implement the technical spirit of thedisclosure. In the disclosure, detailed descriptions of knowntechnologies in relation to the disclosure are omitted if they aredeemed to make the gist of the disclosure unnecessarily vague. Below,preferred embodiments according to the disclosure are specificallydescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings,identical reference numerals can denote identical or similar components.

The terms “first”, “second” and the like are used herein only todistinguish one component from another component. Thus, the componentsshould not be limited by the terms. Certainly, a first component can bea second component unless stated to the contrary.

Embodiments are not limited to the embodiments set forth herein, and canbe modified and changed in various different forms. The embodiments inthe disclosure are provided such that the disclosure can be through andcomplete and the scope of the disclosure can be fully conveyed to one ofordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, all modifications, equivalentsor replacements and a replacement of one embodiment's configuration withanother embodiment's configuration or an addition of one embodiment'sconfiguration to another embodiment's configuration, within thetechnical spirit and scope of the disclosure, should be construed asbeing included in the scope of the disclosure.

Accompanying drawings are provided for a better understanding of theembodiments set forth herein and are not intended to limit the technicalspirit of the disclosure. It is to be understood that all themodifications, equivalents or replacements within the spirit andtechnical scope of the disclosure are included in the scope of thedisclosure. Sizes or thicknesses of the components in the drawings areexaggerated or reduced to ensure ease of understanding. However, theprotection scope of the subject matter of the disclosure should not beinterpreted in a limited way.

The terms in the disclosure are used only to describe specific examplesor embodiments but not intended to limit the subject matter of thedisclosure. The singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless explicitly indicated otherwise.It is to be understood that the terms “comprise”, “constitute” and thelike, set forth herein, are used to indicate the presence of features,numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof,and do not imply the exclusion of one or more additional features,numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

The terms “first”, “second” and the like are used herein only todistinguish one component from another component. Thus, the componentsshould not be limited by the terms.

When one component is described as being “connected” or “connected” toanother component, one component can be directly connected or connectedto another component. However, it is also to be understood that anadditional component can be “interposed” between the two components.When one component is described as being “directly connected” or“directly connected” to another component, it is to be understood thatno additional component is interposed between the two components.

When one component is described as being “on” or “under” anothercomponent, one component can be directly on or under another component,and an additional component can be interposed between the twocomponents.

Unless otherwise defined, all the terms (technical or science words)used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one ofordinary skill in the art. Additionally, terms such as those defined incommonly-used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaningthat is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevantart, and unless explicitly defined herein, should not be interpreted inan ideal or overly sense.

In a state in which a cooking appliance stands on the floor, withrespect to the center of the cooking appliance, a direction in which adoor is installed is defined as a forward direction, and a directiontoward the inside of the cooking appliance is defined as a rearwarddirection, with the door open. For convenience, a direction facing thefront and the rear can be referred to as a first direction. Then thefront can be referred to as one direction of the first direction, andthe rear can be referred to as the other direction of the firstdirection.

Additionally, a gravitational direction can be defined as a downwarddirection, and a direction opposite to the gravitational direction canbe defined as an upward direction.

Additionally, a horizontal direction across a front-rear direction ofthe cooking appliance, i.e., a widthwise direction of the cookingappliance, can be referred to as a left-right direction when the cookingappliance is seen in front of the door of the cooking appliance. Forconvenience, the left-right direction can be referred to as a seconddirection. Then the right side can be referred to as one direction ofthe second direction, and the left side can be referred to as the otherdirection of the second direction.

Further, the widthwise direction of the cooking appliance can bereferred to as a lateral direction. Then the right side can be referredto as one side of the lateral direction, and the left side can bereferred to as the other side of the lateral direction.

An up-down direction can be referred to as a third direction. Then theupward direction can be referred to as one direction of the thirddirection, and the downward direction can be referred to as the otherdirection of the third direction.

Furthermore, the up-down direction can be referred to as a verticaldirection. Then the front-rear direction and the left-right direction,i.e., the first direction and the second direction, can be referred toas the horizontal direction.

Throughout the disclosure, the terms “A and/or B” as used herein candenote A, B or A and B, and the terms “C to D” can denote C or greaterand D or less, unless stated to the contrary.

[Entire Structure of Cooking Appliance]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a cooking appliance of one embodiment,and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cooking appliance inFIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the cooking appliance in FIG. 2,and FIG. 4 is a lateral cross-sectional view showing an innerconfiguration of the cooking appliance in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the cooking appliance of one embodiment mayinclude a cooktop part 20 and an oven part 30.

The exterior of the cooking appliance 1 may be formed by a main body 10.The main body 10 may be formed into a shape including an approximatelyrectangular cuboid. The main body may be made of a material havingpredetermined strength to protect a plurality of components installed inthe inner space thereof.

The main body 10 may include a cavity 11 forming the skeleton of themain body 10, and a front panel 13 disposed at the front of the cavity11 and forming the front surface of the main body 10. A cooking space 31may be formed in the cavity 11, and an open part that opens the cookingspace 31 in the forward direction may be formed in the front panel 13.

The cooktop part 20 may be disposed in the upper portion of the mainbody 10. The cooktop part 20 may be an open space, i.e., a space inwhich a food item or a container containing a food item, placed at theupper side of the cooktop part, is heated and cooked. The cooktop part20 may be provided with a top plate 21 that forms the exterior of theupper surface of the cooktop part 20 and closes the upper end of themain body 10.

One or more cooktop heating parts 22 for heating a food item or acontainer containing a food item to be cooked may be disposed at thecooktop part 20.

In an example, the cooktop heating part 22 may be implemented as aheating device that uses gas as a fuel. In another example, the cooktopheating part may be implemented as a heater or an induction heating partthat uses electricity. As described above, the structure of the cooktopheating part 22 may vary depending on the sort of a heat source.

The oven part 30 may be disposed in the lower portion of the cooktoppart 20. The cooking space 31 that provides a space for cooking a fooditem may be disposed in the inner space of the oven part 30.

The cavity 11 may be formed into a cuboid the front surface of which isopen, and the cooking space 31 may be formed in the cavity 11. That is,the cooking space 31 may be formed into an approximate cuboid-shapedspace that is disposed in the cavity 11 and is open forward.

With the cooking space 31 closed, the inside of the cooking space 31 isheated to cook a food item. That is, in the oven part 30, the cookingspace 31 is a space in which a food time is substantially heated.

The cooking appliance may be provided with a heating part for heatingthe cooking space 31. The heating part may be implemented as a heatingdevice that uses gas as a fuel. In another example, the cooktop heatingpart may be implemented as a heater that uses electricity. As describedabove, the structure of the heating part may vary depending on the sortof a used heat source.

In this embodiment, the heating part is implemented as a heating devicethat uses gas as a fuel, for example. Accordingly, a broil burner 35that heats the inner space of the cooking space 31 from above may bedisposed at the upper side of the cooking space 31. Also, a bakerburner-type burner that heats the inner space of the cooking space 31from below may be disposed at the lower side of the cooking space 31.

Additionally, a convection part 37 that heats the inner space of thecooking space 31 as a result of the convection of hot air may be furtherdisposed at the rear side of the cooking space 31.

The convection part 37 forces air in the inner space of the cookingspace 31 to flow. That is, the convection part 37 suctions and heats airin the inner space of the cooking space 31 and then forces the air toflow while discharging the air to the inner space of the cooking space31 such that the inner space of the cooking space 31 is heated, and afood item in the inner space of the cooking space 31 is heated evenly.

The oven part 30 may be provided with a door 32 that swivably opens andcloses the cooking space 31 selectively. In an example, the door 32 mayopen the cooking space 31 in a pull-down manner such that the upper endswivels up and down with respect to the lower end.

The door 32 may be formed into a cuboid having a predetermined thicknessentirely. The door 32 may have a handle 33 at the front thereof. Thehandle 33 is gripped by a user when the user swivels the door 32. Theuser may easily swivels the door 32 by using the handle 33.

A control panel 50 may be disposed in the upper portion of the frontsurface of the cooking appliance, i.e., on the front surface of theupper portion of the cavity 11. The control panel 50 may form a portionof the exterior of the front surface of the cooking appliance. Thecontrol panel 50 may be provided with a knob 51 for adjusting theoperation of the cooking appliance, a display 52 displaying an operationstate of the cooking appliance and the like.

For example, the control panel 50 may be provided in a way that an inputpart 51 and the display 52 are disposed on a control panel cover 50 adisposed in the upper portion of the door 32 and at the front of thecooktop part 20.

The input part 52 has a plurality of manipulation switches, and throughthe manipulations switches, the user may input a manipulation signaldirectly. In this case, the manipulation switches may be implemented asa knob enabling rotation-based manipulation, or a button or a panelenabling push or touch-based manipulation.

The control panel 50 may further include the display 52 that providesinformation on the operation of the cooking appliance, or information onthe cooking of a food item and the like. The user may ascertain varioustypes of information on the cooking appliance through the display 52.

In another example, the display 52 may be implemented as a touch panelenabling touch-based manipulation. Accordingly, the input part 51 andthe display 52 may be disposed together on a single touch panel.

Further, the cooking space 31 may include a rear space 34 behind itself.The rear space 34 is a space partitioned off from the cooking space 31by a partition surface 30 a that is disposed behind the cavity 11 andpartitions the cooking space 31 from the rear space 34 in the front-reardirection. The forward boundary surface of the rear space 34 is definedby the partition surface 30 a, and the rear boundary surface of the rearspace 34 may be defined by a rear cover 15 disposed behind the cavity11.

The cavity 11 may include an upper space 40, outside the cavity 11. Theupper space 40 may be disposed in the upper portion of the cavity 11 andbehind the control panel 50. A space for installing components orelectronic components for constituting the cooktop heating part 22 maybe formed in the upper space 40.

The front surface of the upper space 40 may be blocked by the frontpanel 13. The front panel 13 may be disposed between the cavity 11 andthe door 13. The front panel 13 may be disposed in a way that at least aportion of the front panel blocks the front of the upper space 40. Forexample, the upper area of the front panel 13 disposed in the upperportion of the cooking space 31 may block the front surface of the upperspace 40.

The front panel 13 may include an intake opening 14. The intake opening14 may pass through the front panel 13 in the front-rear direction. Theintake opening 14 may form a passage that allows air outside the upperspace 40 to flow into the upper space 40, on the front panel 13.

[Structure of Cooktop Part]

FIG. 5 is an enlarged rear perspective view showing a portion of thecooking appliance in FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective viewshowing a state in which a vent grille in FIG. 5 is separated.

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the cooktop part 20 may be disposed on theoven part 30 and include the top plate 21 and the cooktop heating part22, as described above.

The top plate 21 may be disposed over the cavity 11, and the upper space40 may be disposed between the top plate 21 and the cavity 11. That is,the top plate 21 may cover the upper portion of the cavity 11 such thatthe upper space 40 is formed between the top plate 21 and the cavity 11.

The upper space 40 may be formed outside the cavity 11. The upper space40 may be disposed behind the control panel 50 while being disposedbetween the cavity 11 and the top plate 21. A space for installingcomponents or electronic components for constituting the cooktop heatingpart 22 may be formed in the upper space 40.

In an example, in the case of a cooktop heating part 22 is implementedas a heating device that uses gas as a fuel, a burner that burns gas, asupply pipe for supplying gas to the burner, a valve for adjusting thesupply of gas to the burner and the like may be installed in the upperspace 40.

In another example, in the case of a cooktop heating part 22 implementedas a heating device that uses electricity, a heater or an inductionheating part, and various types of electronic components for driving theheater or the induction heating part may be disposed in the upper space40.

The main body 10 may further include a side panel 17. The side panel 17may be disposed respectively in both lateral portions of the cavity 11.Each of the side panels 17 may form the sidewise exterior of the mainbody 10 while covering the lateral portions of the cavity 11, outsidethe cavity 11.

Each of the side panels 17 may extend to the upper portion of the cavity11 while covering the lateral portions of the cavity 11. Accordingly,the sidewise boundaries of the upper space 40 may be defined by the pairof side panels 17 that extends upward from both sides of the cavity 11.

The rear cover 15 may be disposed behind the cavity 11. The rear cover15 may form the rear exterior of the main body 10 while covering therear of the cavity 11. The rear cover 15 may define the rear boundarysurface of the rear space 34 disposed behind the cavity 11.

A ventilation opening 16 may be formed on the rear cover 15. Theventilation opening 16 may be formed in a way that passes through therear cover 15 in the front-rear direction, and form an air passage onthe rear cover 15. Air passes through the air passage to cool electroniccomponents disposed in the rear space 34.

The rear cover 15 may extend to the upper portion of the cavity 11 whilecovering the rear of the cavity 11. Accordingly, the rear boundary ofthe upper space 40 may be defined by the rear cover 15 that extendsupward at the rear of the cavity 11.

That is, the upper space 40's front, rear, and both sides are surroundedby the front panel 13, the rear cover 15 and the pair of side panels 17,and the top plate 21 covers the upper portion of the upper space 40.

The top plate 21 may be disposed in the upper portions of the frontpanel 13, the rear cover 15, and the pair of side panels 17, and coupledrespectively to the front panel 13, the rear cover 15, and the pair ofside panels 17. That is, the top plate 21 may be fixed to the upperportion of the upper space 40 while being coupled respectively to thefront panel 13, the rear cover 15, and the pair of side panels 17.

The cooktop part 20 may be provided with a first exhaust opening 23. Thefirst exhaust opening 23 may be disposed eccentrically to the rear ofthe cooktop part 20 on the cooktop part 20. For example, the firstexhaust opening 23 may be disposed between the cooktop heating part 22and the rear cover 15.

The first exhaust opening 23 may be formed in a way that passes throughthe top plate 21 vertically. The first exhaust opening 23 may form anoutlet on the top plate 21, and exhaust gas generated in the cookingspace 31 is discharged out of the cooking appliance 1 through theoutlet.

The first exhaust opening 23 may connect to an exhaust duct 41. Theexhaust duct 41 may be provided to discharge exhaust gas, which isgenerated in the cooking space 31 while a food item is cooked, out ofthe cooking appliance.

The exhaust duct 41 may be provided in a way that the lower end portionthereof connects to the upper portion of the cooking space 31 while theupper end portion thereof is disposed toward the upper portion of therear surface of the cooking appliance 1. For example, the upper endportion of the exhaust duct 41 may be disposed at the rear of thecooktop part 20. In this embodiment, the upper end portion of theexhaust duct 41 connects to the first exhaust opening 23, for example.

Accordingly, exhaust gas generated in the cooking space 31 may flow intothe exhaust duct 41 connected to the upper portion of the cooking space31 and move upward, and be discharged upward on the rear surface of thecooking appliance 1 through the first exhaust opening 23 connected tothe upper end portion of the exhaust duct 41.

A vent grille 60 may be disposed above the first exhaust opening 23. Thevent grille 60 may be provided to cover the first exhaust opening 23, onthe top plate 21.

The vent grille 60 is provided in a way that covers a partial area ofthe rear of the top plate 21, including the area in which the firstexhaust opening 23 is disposed, from above. The vent grille 60 may alsocover a portion being open upward in the rear space 34 that is a spacebetween the rear surface of the cavity 31 and the rear cover 15, i.e.,an upper end opening formed between the partition surface 30 a and therear cover 15, from above. Thus, a space surrounded by the vent grille60, the top plate 21 and the rear cover 15 may be formed in the ventgrille 60.

In this embodiment, the vent grille 60 is formed into a cuboid the lowerportion of which is open downward, for example. The vent grille 60 maybe provided with at least one vent hole 61 through which exhaust gasdischarged through the exhaust duct 41 passes. The vent hole 61 may beformed in a way that passes through the upper surface of the vent grille60 vertically.

[Connection Structure Between Top Plate and Rear Panel]

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view showing a portion of a rear of thecooking appliance in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective viewshowing a portion of the rear of the cooking appliance in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 8, the rear space 34 may be formed between thecavity 31 and the rear cover 15. An upper end opening 49 may be formedat the upper end of the rear space 34. The upper end opening 49 may forma passage for opening the rear space 34 upward, behind the upper space40.

The top plate 21 may connect to the rear cover 15 while covering theupper end opening 49 and the upper space 40 from above. The top plate 21may include a main plate 210 and an extension plate 215.

The main plate 210 takes up most of the area of the top plate 21 and isdisposed on the upper space 40. For example, the main plate 210 may beformed into a shape including a rectangle corresponding to the shape ofthe upper surface of the cavity 31.

The main plate 210 may include a concave surface 211 on which thecooktop heating part 22 is disposed, and an edge 212 which surrounds theconcave surface 211.

The concave surface 211 may be disposed approximately at the center ofthe main plate 210 and takes up most of the area of the main plate 210.The cooktop heating part 22 may be disposed on the concave surface 211.In the case of a cooktop heating part 22 implemented as a heating devicethat uses gas as a fuel, at least a portion of a burner that burns gasmay be exposed to the upper portion of the concave surface 211. To thisend, a hole for exposing the burner to the upper portion of the concavesurface 211 may be formed on the concave surface 211 in a way thatpasses through the concave surface 211 vertically.

The edge 212 may be provided at the front-rear edge and the left-rightedge of the concave surface 211. The edge 212 may be concave furtherupward than the concave surface 211. For example, the central portion ofthe main plate 210, in which the concave surface 211 is disposed, may bedepressed downward in the form of a rectangle.

The edge 212 of the main plate 210 may connect to the control panel 50,the side panel 17 and the like. For example, a portion of the edge 212,at the front of the main plate 210, may be coupled to the control panel50, and portions of the edge 212, at both sides of the main plate 210may be respectively coupled to the side panel 17.

As a result of the coupling among the edge 212, the control panel 50 andthe side panel 17, the top plate 21 may be fixed to the upper portion ofthe upper space 40.

The extension plate 215 may extend from the main plate 210 rearward. Theextension plate 215 may be provided to cover the upper end opening 49,on the upper space 40.

The extension plate 215 may correspond to the rear area of the top plate21, and extend from the main plate 210 to the rear cover 15.Accordingly, the main plate 210 may be provided to approximately coverthe upper area of the cavity 31, and the extension plate 215 may beprovided to cover the rear area of the cavity, i.e., an area between thecavity 31 and the rear cover 15, from above.

In this embodiment, the main plate 210 and the extension plate 215connect as the same surface while connecting in the front-reardirection, for example. A connecting structure of the main plate 210 andthe extension plate 215 that connect as the same surface may cover theupper end opening 49 and the upper space 40 from above.

The extension plate 215 may be coupled to the rear cover 15 behind thecooktop part 20, specifically, behind the upper space 40 and at the rearof the rear space 34. To this end, the top plate 21 may further includea coupling part 217. The coupling part 217 may extend from the extensionplate 215 and be coupled to the rear cover 15.

In this embodiment, the coupling part 217 is integrated with the mainplate 210 and the extension plate 215, for example. The coupling part217 may be formed in a way that extends from the extension plate 215 ina direction parallel with the rear cover 15.

For example, the coupling part 217 may extend from the end of the rearof the extension plate 215 downward. The coupling part 217, formed asdescribed above, may be coupled to the rear cover 15 while contactingthe rear cover 15 in the front-rear direction.

That is, the main plate 210, the extension plate 215 and the couplingpart 217 may integrally connect such that a gap is not formed betweenthe main plate 210 and the extension plate 215 and between the extensionplate 215 and the coupling part 217, and while contacting the rear cover15 in the front-rear direction, the coupling part 217 may be coupled tothe rear cover 15.

Accordingly, the top plate 21 may be coupled to the control panel 50,the side panel 17 and the rear cover 15 while covering the rear space 34and the upper space 40 from above. Accordingly, the top plate 21 may befixed to the upper portion of the cooking appliance 1 while covering theupper space 40 and the upper end opening 49 from above.

[Operation of Cooking Appliance and Effect Thereof]

As described above, the top plate 21 may be fixed to the upper portionof the cooking appliance while covering the upper end opening 49 and theupper space 40 from above.

The top plate 21 may be provided with the first exhaust opening 23, andthe vent grille 60 may be disposed on the first exhaust opening 23. Thevent grille 60 may be provided to cover a partial area of the rear ofthe top plate 21, including the area in which the first exhaust opening23 is disposed, from above.

The vent grille 60 may further include a link member 63. The link member63 may be provided for a coupling between the vent grille 60 and themain body 10. For example, the link member 63 may protrude from the endof the rear of the vent grille downward. The link member 63 may becoupled to the main body 10, under the vent grille 60.

In an example, the link member 63 may be coupled to the rear cover 15.In another example, the link member 63 may be coupled to the end of therear of the side panel 17 or the coupling part 217 of the top plate 21.

FIG. 9 is a rear view showing the cooking appliance in FIG. 2 without arear cover, FIG. 10 is a view showing a flow of water in a cookingappliance of the related art, and FIG. 11 is a view showing a flow ofwater in the cooking appliance of one embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 9, the rear space 34 may be disposed behind thecavity 11. Various types of electronic components associated with thefunction of the oven part 30 may be disposed in the rear space 34. Forexample, a circuit board 70 associated with the supply of power to thecooking appliance 1, a portion of a lighting device 75 installed in theoven part 30, and a convection motor 38 for rotating a convection fandisposed in the convection part 37 may be disposed in the rear space 34.Additionally, devices such as a valve 80 or a regulator 85 and the likeassociated with the supply of gas to the cooking appliance may bedisposed in the rear space 34.

When water or foreign substances enter the rear space 34 in which theelectronic components are disposed, the water or foreign substances maycause failure of the electronic components or accidents.

In a cooking appliance of the related art, a rear cover 15 is disposedbehind a top plate 21 a, and the rear cover 15 is disposed behind acavity 11, and a rear space 34 may be formed between the cavity 11 andthe rear cover 15, as illustrated in FIG. 10.

Further, a gap 49 a is formed at the upper end of the rear cover 15, andthe gap 49 a is formed between the top plate 21 a and the rear cover 15to open the rear space 34 upward.

The rear cover 15 is coupled to the cavity 11 without being coupled tothe top plate 21 a. The gap 49 a may be exposed to the upper portion ofa cooktop part 20, behind the top plate 21 a.

A vent grille 60 a may be disposed over the gap 49 a. The vent grille 60a is disposed to cover a partial area of the rear of the top plate 21 a,including the area in which an exhaust duct and an exhaust opening aredisposed, from above. The gap 49 a is also covered by the vent grille 60a.

A vent hole 61 a passes through the vent grille 60 a vertically, andexhaust gas discharged through the exhaust opening is discharged out ofthe upper portion of the vent grille 60 a through the vent hole 61 a.

Through the vent hole 61 a, water or foreign substances may enter thespace in the vent grille 60 a. The water or the foreign substanceshaving entered the space in the vent grille 60 a may enter the rearspace 34 through the gap 49 a formed between the top plate 21 a and therear cover 15.

That is, in the cooking appliance of the related art, water or foreignsubstances are highly likely to enter the rear space 34 through the gap49 a exposed to the inside the vent grille 60 a.

Unlike the cooking appliance of the related art, the cooking applianceof this embodiment has a top plate 21 that covers the upper end opening49 and the upper space 40, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 11.

For example, the main plate 210, the extension plate 215 and thecoupling part 217 integrally connect such that a gap is not formedbetween the main plate 210 and the extension plate 215 and between theextension plate 215 and the coupling part 217, and the coupling part 217may be coupled to the rear cover 15 while contacting the rear cover 15in the front-rear direction.

Accordingly, the top plate 21 is coupled to the control panel 50, theside panel 17 and the rear cover 15 while covering the upper space 40and the rear space 34 from above. Thus, the top plate 21 may be fixed tothe upper portion of the cooking appliance 1, while covering the upperspace 40 and the upper end opening 49 from above.

That is, a passage, through which water or foreign substances enter therear space 34 from the upper portion of the cooking appliance 1, isblocked by the top plate 21, thereby effectively preventing the waterand foreign substances from entering the rear space 34.

Further, in this embodiment, a connecting portion between the top plate21 and the rear cover 15 is disposed at the rear of the cookingappliance 1 instead of being disposed toward the upper portion of thecooking appliance 1, and the top plate 21 and the rear cover 15 arecoupled in the front-rear direction. Thus, it is less likely that wateror foreign substances enter the cooking appliance through the couplingportion between the top plate 21 and the rear cover 15, and the invasionof water or foreign substances into the rear space 34 is effectivelyprevented.

Since water or foreign substances having fallen to the upper portion ofthe cooking appliance through the vent grille 60 are prevented fromentering the electronic components disposed in a space formed betweenthe rear surface of the cooking appliance 1 and the rear cover 15through the vent grille 60 as described above, the failure of theelectronic components, caused by the water or foreign substances, may beeffectively prevented.

[Control Panel and Peripheral Structure Thereof]

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which acooktop part and a control panel are separated from the cookingappliance of one embodiment, and FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional viewshowing a flow of cool air in the cooking appliance of one embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the control panel 50 may be disposed atthe front of the upper space 40, and disposed on the door 32. Thecontrol panel 50 may include a control panel cover 55. The control panelcover 55 may form the exterior of the control panel 50 and accommodatevarious types of components constituting the control panel 50.

The control panel cover 55 may form the exteriors of the front surface,lateral surfaces and lower surface of the control panel cover 55, andaccommodate the display 52. The lower surface of the control panel cover55 may close between the door 32 and the display 52.

The door 32 disposed under the control panel 50 may have a path for theflow of air, therein. Additionally, an air flow hole may be disposed inthe lower portion of the door 32. Further, a discharge hole 32 a may bedisposed on the upper surface of the door 32, which faces the controlpanel 50. The air flow hole, the path and the discharge hole 32 a may beformed in a way that they pass through the door 32.

The air flow hole may form a passage through which external air flowsinto the path in the door 32, and the discharge hole 32 a may form apassage through which the air having passed through the path in the door32 is discharged out of the door 32. The discharge hole 32 a may beformed in a way that passes through the upper surface of the door 32vertically, and the air having passed through the path in the door 32may be discharged upward through the discharge hole 32 a.

Further, a cooling fan 45 may be disposed behind the control panel 50and the door 32. The cooling fan 45 may be disposed near the rear cover15 while being disposed in the upper space 40.

In an example, the cooling fan 45 may include a turbo fan disposed onthe upper surface of the cavity 11. The cooling fan 45 may suction airin front of the upper space 40 and discharge the air toward the ventgrille 60. The air discharged by the cooling fan 45 may pass through thesecond exhaust opening 24 formed in a way that passes through the topplate 21 and through the vent grille 60, and be discharged out of theupper portion of the cooking appliance 1.

[Relationship Between Structure of Control Panel and Structure of TopPlate]

Ordinarily, when the cooking appliance, specifically, the oven part 30performs a cooking operation, the heating part operates. While theheating part operates, the cooling fan 45 may also operate.

When the cooling fan 45 operates, external air in front of the cookingappliance 1 may flow into the upper space 40 through the intake opening14 that is formed in a way that passes through the front panel 13. Theair having flown into the upper space 40 may pass through the upperspace 40 while cooling components such as the display 52 disposed on thecontrol panel 50 or the circuit board and the like, and then passthrough the second exhaust opening 24 and the vent grille 60 and bedischarged out of the upper portion of the cooking appliance 1.

Along the way, external air in front of the main body 10 and under themain body 10 is suctioned through the air flow hole disposed in thelower portion of the door 32, and then discharged through the dischargehole 32 a disposed in the upper portion of the door 32 while cooling thedoor 32. The air discharged out of the upper portion of the door 32through the discharge hole 32 a may flow into the upper space 40 throughthe intake opening 14 that is formed in a way that passes through thefront panel 13.

In this embodiment, the lower surface of the control panel cover 55closes between the door 32 and the display 52, and a passage forconnecting between the discharge hole 32 a of the door 32 and thedisplay 52 is not formed on the lower surface of the control panel cover55.

Accordingly, the air discharged out of the upper portion of the door 32through the discharge hole 32 a of the door 32 may flow into the upperspace 40 immediately through the intake opening 14 without contactingthe display 52. That is, air heated during the process of cooling thedoor 32 may be discharged through the discharge hole 32 a and then flowinto the upper space 40 immediately without affecting the display 52.

The hot air discharged from the door 32 hardly affects the display 52disposed on the door 32. Thus, damage to the display 52 or operationalerrors of the display 52, caused by the hot air discharged from the door32, may be effectively prevented.

The display 52 is a heat-generating component that generates a largeamount of heat. Accordingly, if the display 52 does not cool properly,the performance of the display 52 may deteriorate or the failure of thedisplay 52 may occur.

One of the effective ways to cool the display 52 is to provide a coolinghole for cooling the display 52 at the control panel cover 55 thatsurrounds the display 52.

If the cooling hole is disposed on the front surface or the uppersurface of the control panel cover 55, the cooling hole is exposedplainly, deteriorating aesthetic qualities. Additionally, water orforeign substances are highly likely to enter the control panel 50through the cooling hole.

If the cooling hole is disposed on the lateral surface of the controlpane cover 55, a distance between the cooling hole and the display 52increases, and the surface area of the cooling hole may not be ensuredsufficiently. That is, if the cooling hole is disposed on the lateralsurface of the control panel cover 55, the display 52 may not coolproperly.

To solve the above problems, the cooling hole may be provided on thelower surface of the control panel cover 55, preferably. However, thedischarge hole 32 a of the door 32 and the cooling hole of the controlpanel 50 face each other. In this case, hot air discharged from the door32 may flow into the control panel 50 through the cooling hole,adversely affecting the display 52.

To prevent this from happening, in this embodiment, a passage forconnecting between the discharge hole 32 a of the door 32 and thedisplay 52 is formed on no surface including the lower surface of thecontrol panel cover 55. Thus, the hot air discharged from the door 32hardly affects the display 52 disposed on the door 32.

However, if no cooling hole is disposed at the control panel cover 55,there is little possibility that the display 52 cools properly. Theoccurrence of the problem may be suppressed based on the effect of theabove-described coupling between the top plate 21 and the rear cover 15.

In this embodiment, the main plate 210, the extension plate 215 and thecoupling part 217 may integrally connect such that a gap is not formedbetween the main plate 210 and the extension plate 215 and between theextension plate 215 and the coupling part 217, and the coupling part 217may be coupled to the rear cover 15 while contacting the rear cover 15in the front-rear direction.

Accordingly, the top plate 21 may be coupled to the control panel 50,the side panel 17 and the rear cover 15 while covering the upper space40 and the rear space 34 from above, such that the top plate 21 is fixedto the upper portion of the cooking appliance 1 while covering the upperspace 40 and the upper end opening 49 from above.

The top plate 21 may be coupled to the rear cover 15 as a result of thecoupling between the coupling part 217 and the rear cover 15, and sealthe upper portion of the cooktop part 20. That is, the upper end opening49 may be sealed by the top plate 21, and a space around the cooling fan45 disposed near the upper end opening 49 may be surrounded and sealedby the top plate 21, the rear cover 15 and the cavity 31.

When the perimeter of the cooling fan 45 is sealed as described above,the intensity of air current generated by the cooling fan 45 mayincrease efficiently. As the intensity of air current generated by thecooling fan 45 increases, the efficiency of cooling components such asthe display 52 or the circuit disposed on the control panel 50 and thelike may improve.

That is, in the cooking appliance of this embodiment, since the upperend opening 49 near the cooling fan is sealed as a result of thecoupling between the top plate 21 and the rear cover 15, the intensityof air current generated by the cooling fan 45 may efficiently increase,thereby effectively cooling the display 52 disposed on the control panel50.

The cooking appliance 1 of this embodiment may increase the intensity ofair current for cooling such that the display 52 cools effectivelyalthough the cooling hole is not formed in the lower portion of thecontrol panel 50. Thus, the cooking appliance 1 of this embodiment mayhelp to cool the display 52 effectively, while preventing hot airdischarged from the door 32 from affecting the display 52.

The subject matter of the present disclosure is described with referenceto the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, but the embodiments aremerely illustrative. Those of ordinary skill in the art to which thedisclosure pertains can understand that various modifications and otherequivalent embodiments are drawn from the above embodiments. Therefore,the technical scope of the present disclosure should be defined by theappended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   -   10: Main body    -   11: Cavity    -   13: Front panel    -   14: Intake opening    -   15: Rear cover    -   16: Ventilation opening    -   17: Side panel    -   20: Cooktop part    -   21: Top plate    -   21 a: Top plate    -   210: Main plate    -   211: Concave surface    -   212: Edge    -   215: Extension plate    -   217: Coupling part    -   22: Cooktop heating part    -   23: First exhaust opening    -   24: Second exhaust opening    -   25: Exhaust duct    -   30: Oven part    -   30 a: Partition surface    -   31: Cooking space    -   32: Door    -   32 a: Discharge hole    -   33: Handle    -   34: Rear space    -   35: Broil burner    -   37: Convection part    -   38: Convection motor    -   40: Upper space    -   41: Exhaust duct    -   45: Cooling fan    -   49: Upper end opening    -   49 a: Gap    -   50: Control panel    -   51: Input part    -   52: Display    -   55: Control panel cover    -   60: Vent grille    -   61: Vent hole    -   63: Link member    -   70: Circuit board    -   75: Lighting device    -   80: Valve    -   85: Regulator

What is claimed is:
 1. A cooking appliance, comprising: an oven having acavity that defines a cooking space therein; a cooktop disposedvertically above the oven, the cooktop comprising: a top plate thatcovers an upper portion of the cavity and defines an upper space betweenthe top plate and the cavity, and a cooktop heater that is at leastpartially disposed in the upper space; a rear cover that covers a rearside of the oven and a rear side of the cooktop and defines a rear spacebetween the rear cover and the oven, wherein the top plate defines anexhaust opening that passes therethrough and is disposed between thecooktop heater and the rear cover; and a vent grille that is disposed atan upper portion of the top plate and covers the exhaust opening,wherein a gap is defined between the cavity and the rear cover anddisposed rearward relative to the upper space, the rear space beingopened upward to the gap, and wherein the top plate is connected to therear cover, the top plate being disposed above and covering the upperspace and the gap.
 2. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the topplate comprises: a main plate that is disposed above and covers an upperportion of the upper space; and an extension plate that extends rearwardfrom the main plate and covers the gap.
 3. The cooking appliance ofclaim 2, wherein the main plate and the extension plate are coplanar anddefine one surface that covers the upper space and the gap.
 4. Thecooking appliance of claim 2, wherein the extension plate is coupled tothe rear cover at a position behind the upper space and the gap.
 5. Thecooking appliance of claim 2, wherein the vent grille has a vent holethat vertically passes therethrough and exposes at least a portion ofthe main plate, and wherein at least the portion of the main plate andthe extension plate are connected to each other and cover the upperspace and the gap.
 6. The cooking appliance of claim 2, wherein the topplate further comprises a coupling part that extends from the extensionplate and is coupled to the rear cover.
 7. The cooking appliance ofclaim 6, wherein the coupling part extends from the extension plate in adirection parallel to the rear cover, and wherein the coupling part iscoupled to the rear cover and contacts the rear cover in a front-reardirection.
 8. The cooking appliance of claim 6, wherein the main plateand the extension plate are coplanar, and wherein the main plate, theextension plate, and the coupling part are parts of one component, thecoupling part extending downward from an end portion of a rear of theextension plate.
 9. The cooking appliance of claim 1, furthercomprising: a door disposed at a front side of the cavity and configuredto open and close the cooking space; and a control panel disposed abovethe door, the control panel comprising a display.
 10. The cookingappliance of claim 9, wherein the door has: a path defined in the doorand configured to guide air; and a discharge hole defined at an uppersurface of the door facing the control panel, the discharge hole beingconfigured to discharge the air from the path, and wherein the controlpanel further comprises a control panel cover that accommodates thedisplay and covers a portion between the discharge hole and the display.11. The cooking appliance of claim 10, further comprising a cooling fanconfigured to generate an air flow passing through the upper space,wherein the control panel cover defines a space that accommodates thedisplay, the space being connected to the upper space.
 12. The cookingappliance of claim 11, wherein an upper end opening is defined betweenthe cavity and the rear cover, the upper end opening being opened upwardand disposed rearward relative to the upper space, wherein the top plateis disposed above and covers the upper space and the upper end opening,and wherein the cooling fan is disposed in a sealed space and surroundedby the top plate, the rear cover, and the cavity.
 13. The cookingappliance of claim 11, further comprising a front panel disposed betweenthe cavity and the door, at least a portion of the front panel blockinga front side of the upper space, wherein the front panel defines anintake opening, and wherein the cooling fan is configured to suction airinto the upper space through the intake opening and to discharge,through the exhaust opening, the air having passed through the upperspace.
 14. The cooking appliance of claim 13, wherein the cooling fan isdisposed in the upper space and rearward relative to the cooktop heater.15. The cooking appliance of claim 1, further comprising at least oneelectronic component disposed in the rear space and configured to atleast one of supply power, provide light to the cavity, cause convectionof air in the cavity, or supply gas to the oven or the cooktop heater,and wherein the top plate is located above and covers the at least oneelectronic component disposed in the rear space.
 16. The cookingappliance of claim 1, further comprising: a circuit board disposed inthe rear space and configured to control supply of power to the cookingappliance; a lighting device disposed in the oven, at least a portion ofthe lighting device being disposed in the rear space; and a convectionmotor disposed in the rear space and configured to rotate a convectionfan.
 17. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the top plate definesa recess that is recessed toward the upper space and accommodates thecooktop heater.
 18. The cooking appliance of claim 17, furthercomprising a plurality of gas burners that are disposed in the recessand include the cooktop heater.
 19. The cooking appliance of claim 1,further comprising an exhaust duct disposed in the upper space anddisposed below the top plate, the exhaust duct extending rearward to theexhaust opening.
 20. The cooking appliance of claim 19, wherein theexhaust duct is disposed at a rear portion of the upper space andinclined upward with respect to a bottom surface of the top plate.